6 years ago, Arukah’s Co-founder Dr. TED LANKESTER issued a call for more collaboration to those of us involved in making our communities happier and healthier. That message remains just as relevant today. Watch the video or read the highlights below:
The world seems to have become less good at collaborating. People think that because they are right, others must be wrong. However, collaboration and not competition, is what will help the communities that we serve grow and succeed.
As a community leader, you have probably interacted with the government, NGOs, hospitals and independent contractors who may be doing similar work to you. So how can you collaborate with them?
1. Government health services
The government has primary responsibility for health systems, health priorities, public health, and preventative and curative care. Unfortunately, in many resource poor areas, these services may be under severe strain, and health systems may be sometimes absent altogether. In such a case, your Cluster could look for opportunities to work alongside the government and fill in the gaps. It's important that all these activities are done in association with the government, especially with members of the district health team. It's often not easy, and sometimes not even possible, but we should always be seeking how best we can cooperate with the government and not in competition. And we should aspire to speak well of their members.
2. Civil society organisations (CSOs.)
Local community leaders should collaborate with civil society organizations (CSOs), including NGOs, INGOs, and faith-based organizations (FBOs), because these groups are committed to making communities safer, healthier, and happier. However, effective collaboration requires addressing challenges like duplication of efforts, lack of communication, and misunderstandings of community needs and values. Many CSOs fail to engage local leaders, despite their vital role, leading to missed opportunities for trust and collaboration. Faith-based and secular organizations must also bridge gaps by respecting diverse beliefs and adopting evidence-based practices. By fostering mutual understanding and using tools like the SALT approach, collaboration can drive meaningful, community-centered change.
3. Hospitals
Many consider hospitals to be the hub of the health system. Respecting and using their expertise is essential and life saving, but we all need to fully grasp that the hub of the health system is the community. In my experience, hospitals often fail to understand the needs of the community. For example, many hospital workers have never visited the communities they serve, especially the remotest and neediest.
It is important for those in communities to build links, relationships, and understanding of their local hospital and how it can best serve them. A good starting point is for community health programs and hospitals to visit each other, build trust, set up working relationships and arrange visits with the community.
4. Independent contractors
In many countries, they remain the main group of people to whom people will go if they are unwell. They range from expert private physicians, traditional practitioners, birth attendants and those often inappropriately referred to, usually by outsiders, as witch doctors. We shouldn’t neglect them but should instead meet them, listen to them and help them to demonstrate better ways of working through a process of engagement and respect. Many community health programs have welcomed, used, and been enriched by incorporating and training this wide range of local healers. Another important group are those who have specific skills and knowledge in key areas which have a direct impact on the health of communities such as new ways of farming, using different crops, improving childhood nutrition, water supply and storage and other valuable contributions.
I, and probably many who will read this, can recall numerous instances where a failure to work together has been the main block to the development of effective, coordinated care.
I urge us all to follow the examples of those who build kindness, trust, compassion and friendship. Who draw on the best from their humanity. And we may follow the example of one great spiritual leader, Jesus Christ who spent his life going out to the most vulnerable and building community.
Learn how community leaders are partnerning with the church to transform lives here
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